Dragon Age Origins

Dragon Age Is A Different Beast On Consoles

This is the strangest case of video game déjà vu I’ve ever
experienced. After playing through the PC version of Dragon Age last
month, I know these characters, I’ve seen these locations, and I’ve
done these quests. In terms of content, everything in the console
versions of BioWare’s epic fantasy RPG is practically identical to the
PC release. On the other hand, the gameplay drastically changes the
contours of the combat, creating a new landscape littered with familiar
landmarks. By no means is it the same game, but it remains a great
adventure.

When it isn’t being measured against the successes of
its PC counterpart, this iteration of Dragon Age stands on its own as a
mix of real-time battles and tactical combat. Instead of executing
strategies using the classic pause-and-play approach (a hallmark of the
Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights series), you spend most of your
time in the trenches activating abilities and firing off spells in
rapid succession. Pausing to issue commands is still available, but
fights seem tailored to be action-oriented and less about considering
your options – especially since the lack of an isometric view means
that you rarely have a solid awareness of the whole battlefield.

Powers
are mapped to the face buttons, which works particularly well for
characters with a modest selection of skills, like fighters and rogues.
You’ll wade into a group of enemies, use your powers, then attack
normally until your cooldowns are ready to go again. If you plan on
playing as a mage or carefully managing your ally mages, you should
expect to pause combat regularly in order to select the most
appropriate spell from the clunky menu system.

Battles have a
more freewheeling style thanks to the shift away from pause-and-play,
so you’ll want to be confident that your party members aren’t doing
something stupid where you can’t see them. Constantly juggling control
among your various allies throws a wrench in the otherwise smooth flow
of combat, so I’d recommend spending lots of time with your AI
scripting so your pals can fend for themselves. As an unexpected
benefit, I felt more of a connection to my created characters since I
spent more time controlling them directly rather than managing my party
as a whole.

In streamlining combat for consoles, developers
BioWare and Edge of Reality also dialed back the punishing difficulty.
Fights that I won by the skin of my teeth in the PC version were a
breeze this time around, largely because friendly fire is disabled on
the normal difficulty setting. You can spew gouts of flame and conjure
lightning storms with relative impunity, which removes all of the risk
from casting high-level spells. I thought this was lame at first, but
it isn’t without charm; I got lots of laughs using attacks and
strategies that wouldn’t be viable if my allies were in harm’s way.

Tossing
a fireball into a crowded melee is entertaining, but it represents the
biggest problem with this incarnation of Dragon Age. The
action-focused, low-pressure encounters are fun, but they rarely force
you to truly test your skills. Though you’ll mow down hundreds of
darkspawn and thugs, you’ll rarely feel the satisfaction that comes
with a hard-won victory. Even the spoils of battle are a pain, since
cramped inventory is a pervasive problem, and the only way to truly
solve it is to shell out seven dollars for the Warden’s Keep DLC,
adding a sorely needed storage chest for your excess items. This
feature is a genre standard that should have been in the core package,
and holding it back to make players buy it on launch day is pathetic.

Despite
differences in the mechanics, the land of Ferelden is just as vast and
intricate in the console versions of Dragon Age. The involved history
behind the characters and organizations lends the world surprising
depth, though technical hiccups (like an uneven framerate and
occasional glitches) and an awkward interface can hamper your enjoyment
of the content. Your dialogue and interaction options eschew the
traditional good-versus-evil dynamic, instead embracing a more
ambiguous view of morality. The story and its multiple branches will
grab your attention, and the combat – while different in style –
delivers plenty of thrills. I prefer the PC iteration, but it’s still
good on PS3 and 360, and way better than not playing Dragon Age at all.

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User Reviews:

This game is one of my favorite games I've played. I love games where you are the character and any decision you make can effect the entire outcome of the game.The story was awesome.. something you could get easily sucked into. The characters were also memorable Alistair was perhaps one of the funniest...

Before I bought Dragon Age Origins I had little knowledge about the series and even smaller interest in the game. Because I thought it looked like another one of the same old D&D style RPG"s but, boy was I wrong. This game actually has the credit of getting me interested in the genre. The fighting...

Dragon Age Origins is a really good game overall with the graphics only being my one real complaint. They were decent not great. Am a latecomer to this game and I bought the ultimate edition with all the DLC. As I played the game I was strongly reminded of the original Kotor from the compelling story...

Dragon Age: Origins was one of my favorite games when it came out. The game presented a huge, detailed world with plenty of lore and branching story line based on choices your character made. There was a good deal of replay value to it and it was one of the more entertaining titles to come out in a long...

when i picked up mass effect 2 i was totally blown away. it was by far one of the best games i have ever played. and the first mass effect didnt dissapoint either. so that was 2 for 2. i was totally impressed with bioware games that i had played up to that point. i was so impressed by their games i had...

This is a good game. This is a Bioware game. Anyone who has played the Mass Effect series will attest to the awesomeness that is Bioware. Now don’t that excited cause it is not Mass Effect. So… Dragon Age is a good, cool game, but if you think it is going to be Oblivion or Mass Effect you...